1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a container for transporting and storing liquids that are possibly hazardous. More specifically, the invention is concerned with preventing such liquids from leaking into the environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention is primarily concerned with the need to transport safely hazardous liquids, e.g. liquids recovered from chemical spills.
Liquids from chemical spills typically are picked up by sorbent materials, e.g. POWERSORB.TM. liquid-sorbing pillows, pads, and booms from 3M, the company to which this application is assigned. The liquid-saturated sorbent materials are then transported in unbreakable, leak-proof drums of several sizes, each of which is large enough to hold a number of saturated sorbent articles. Even though the drum is designed to be unbreakable and is sealed, U.S. Federal regulation 49 CFR 173.3 (c) (2) states: "Each drum must be provided with . . . sufficient cushioning and absorption material to prevent excessive movement of the damaged package and to absorb all free liquid."
Free liquid collects in the bottom of a drum principally as the result of compression, and subsequent desorbtion of liquid from saturated sorbent articles in the lower portion of the drum. Haphazard practices are currently used to deal with free liquids in shipping drums. Chopped corn cobs or similar sorbent materials are sometimes added to the loaded drums in an attempt to take up any free liquid.